Tuesday, 30 March 2010

My magazine's gone to press and there's nothing left to do until the pages to come back from repro... So I'm letting my fingers work their exploratory magic in the big wide world of the fashion/photography web. What a day ♥ ♥

[Images from all sorts of places, including By Darre (bydarre.blogspot.com, a lovely fashion blog, check it out!)]

I love the wistful, yet still powerful aesthetic in Jenny Porkka's shots for Swedish designer Simon Ekrelius' Autumn/Winter 2010-11 collection. The iridescent light and misty slate and teal tones are punctuated with raspberry and a subtle canary shadow, providing a striking, timeless quality.

Here's what Dazed Digital said about the collection...

"Simon Ekrelius studied fashion at Stockholm’s Tillskärarakademin. Though the education he received there provided him with great technical skills, he felt his creativity was stifled since students weren’t allowed to use materials such as leather and plastic. Breaking the rules he made a collection using plastic and moose suede and ended up winning an award at a local competition. From then on, refusing to conform became his motto and, when it came to start his own label, Ekrelius first settled on haute couture, moving onto ready-to-wear only four years ago.

His Autumn/Winter 2010-11 collection, entitled 'Stardust', proves a design can truly shine like a precious stone even when it’s not covered in sparkling crystals: indeed, Ekrelius’s organza skirts remind in their silhouettes the geometrically complex crystal shapes of minerals, while the configuration of diamonds reappears in the graphic black and white prints and in the body panels and reinforced shoulder pads of his jumpsuits."

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Forget about the purple rinse, mothballs and baggy hosiery; granny chic is back and with a rose-scented vengeance. For the last few years dressing like someone of pension age has made its mark as a major trend in young, edgy fashion circles, with nightclubs and cooler-than-thou hotspots of London filled with an eclectic – if not a bit shabby – mix of fashion from decades past. It’s all about dressing like you’ve raided your Nan’s wardrobe after a sherbet binge, adding a playful ladylike elegance and a touch of costume to an otherwise humdrum noughties wardrobe. Young twenty-somethings can be seen proudly in pretty floral tea dresses, fox furs, nylon stockings, fishtail pencil skirts, lace-up shoes and 1950’s box handbags, their hair wafted up into pompadours and pouts smackered with pillar box red lipstick – the perfect attire for heading down the WI for a jive masterclass or a drink at the Black Gardenia. And let’s face it, what lady doesn’t want to dress like Diana Dors circa 1958?

And the catwalks have followed suit. Old-lady friendly staples – herringbone, paisley, hairnets, pearls and knee-high socks – are everywhere. We’ve seen tweed twin-sets, cat-eye glasses and netted gloves at Luella, pastel coloured dresses and quasi-orthopedic shoes at John Galliano and Betty Jackson, the fairy god mother of whimsical grandma chic, had a collection splattered with cheery ditsy blooms, a touch of lace and 1920’s inspired accessories.

Although today it’s practically impossible to miss this thrift-chic aesthetic, vintage only really began to get style status a decade ago with Kate Moss bucking the ‘current season’ trend and dressing her supermodel self in incredible designer one-offs – a beautiful one-shoulder canary yellow frock being her first foray. And now models, actresses, musicians – girls all over the world – are all over vintage like a rash. Alexa Chung is forever adorned in her little 1940’s floral tea dresses, doily cardis and tortoiseshell spectacles, a bright coloured pop sock zipping the look back to the 21st century, while Mary-Kate Olsen, with her floor-length crushed silk and velvet dresses, fur coats, backcombed bouffant and cascades of vintage jewels is practically grandma re-incarnate.

Lorraine Candy, editor of UK Elle, is not at all surprised by this resurgence of old, seeing it as a byproduct of our current financial climate. “You could see it as a make-do-and-mend reaction to the economic crisis. Or you could see it as simply beautiful investment clothes at a time when women need some convincing to shop. Either way, vintage featured in some of the season’s best collections.”

And if you like a bit of vintage, why not try these…

1. Pin up your Victory rolls, draw on your stockings and head to East London’s air raid shelter for a 1940’s Blitz party. You’ll be swaying to the Swing music in no time. www.theblitzparty.com/

2. Head to the Prince Charles or Electric Cinema for a nostalgic film in finest monochrome or sepia. www.princecharlescinema.com/,www.electriccinema.co.uk/

3. Embark on a course of lindy hop dance lessons. Jazz shoes at the ready… www.swingdanceuk.com/

4. Take a glimpse into the fairytale life of one of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars of the 1950s at the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A Museum. www.vam.ac.uk

5. Head to the Black Gardenia or Bourne & Hollinghurst for the finest retro tipple – Campari and orange is a must.

I can't stop poring over the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2010 Ready-to-Wear Look Book (I nabbed it while work experiencing at The Times, hoping one day I will able to afford such beautiful garments). The blogisphere's going crazy for their pretty as pie, kooky and delicious pieces too.